May 22, 2008

Messianic Jews in Israel say they want an inquiry into the burning of hundreds of copies of the New Testament by Orthodox Jews in Or Yehuda last week.

The books were given to the town's Ethiopian Jews by the Messianic Jews, who believe in Jesus as a saviour.

Or Yehuda's deputy mayor says he received complaints about the books, and arranged for them to be burnt.

He has now apologised after his actions have been compared to those of Nazis who burnt Jewish holy scriptures.

Proselytizing to Ethiopian Jews is sensitive because historically they were the target of missionaries who converted many to Christianity in Ethiopia - though they later argued the conversion was forced and they had never really abandoned their Jewish faith, the BBC's Frances Harrison says.

The dispute is revealing growing tension between Messianic Jews and their Orthodox opponents who do not recognise them as Jews, our correspondent adds.

'Dumped and burned'

Many of the details of exactly what happened in Or Yehuda are now disputed.

But the deputy mayor says Messianic Jewish missionaries had targeted an area of the town where many Ethiopian Jews live, distributing packages containing New Testaments and pamphlets.

He says he received complaints and then drove around the area with a loudspeaker urging people to hand over the material to Orthodox religious students who went door-to-door collecting it.

The books were then dumped in a pile and burned.

Messianic Jews complain of institutionalised discrimination and are demanding all those involved be put on trial.

Meanwhile, Orthodox Jews are applauding the destruction of texts they say urge Jews to convert.

May 18, 2008

Don't you just love the stupidity of the reporter? A bit slanted? Comparing him to Hitler... Now we have openly treasonous Arab MKs who support terror and the destruction of Israel. Which would you rather have? Was Kahane a Navi? You tell me.

I had a dream that my wife was pregnant and quickly gave birth to a boy named Michael. He had long hair like a Nazir and looked about two to three years old. Suddenly I was standing at the bima reading from the Torah and a Mohel came and did a bris on him. I had a feeling in the dream that the baby represented the Angel Michael. Not knowing much about him, when I awoke I looked up where he was mentioned and found this in Sefer Daniel:

"13. And the prince of the kingdom of Persia has been standing against me for twenty-one days, and behold Michael, one of the first princes, has come to help, and I remained there beside the kings of Persia (Iran)."

14. And I have come to enable you to understand what will happen to your people at the end of the days, for there is yet a vision for those days."

"1. Now at that time (the end of days), Michael, the great prince, who stands over the children of your people, will be silent, and it will be a time of distress that never was since a nation existed until that time, and at that time, your people will escape, everyone who is found inscribed in the book.

2. And many who sleep in the dust of the earth will awaken-these for eternal life, and those for disgrace, for eternal abhorrence.

3. And the wise will shine like the brightness of the sky, and those who bring the multitudes to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.

4. And you, Daniel, close up the words and seal the book until the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and the knowledge will increase."

The first one deals with the Tzadik Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess. My wife and I named our last child after him. May we all see miracles in the Zchus of the Tzadik Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess! She writes: "...a tradition has remained that when a Jew finds himself, in any sort of crisis, he gives charity, and dedicates the charity in memory of R' Meir Baal Haness. He then says, “God of Meir - answer me! God of Meir - answer me! God of Meir - answer me!” and in that merit will hopefully have salvation from his crisis." Please visit her site and please donate in the zchus of the Holy Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess.

The second article is about the end of Al-Qaida (yemach shemam). Interestingly enough, she quotes the Zohar about the descendants of Reuvain going against Israel. As many may not know, the prevailing Taliban rulers are from the Pashtun Tribes of Afghanistan and some of them trace their lineage back to Reuvain! In fact, they call themselves Bani Rabani (B'nei Reuvain).

She writes:

"On the above, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, zs'kl, wrote 2,000 years ago in the Zohar HaKadosh in Parshat VeYechi...

אמר רבי שמעון, זמינין אינון בני ראובן לאגחא תרין קרבין בגו ארעא כחי , וראשית אוני , יתר שאת , ויתר עזThe people who fight these wars are the sons of Reuven; descendants of Reuven. This does not mean that they are Jewish because these descendants lives in these areas for hundreds of years and during the long exile, lost their path and religion.

They will make 4 wars during certain periods of history but the last one will be excessively daring 'יתר עז' - and the last war will be during our period of time.

During the time that Moshiach will be revealed, they will go out and organize battles and wars thruout the world. Their wars will succeed and the nations of the worlds will fear them very much.

זמינין אינון לאגחא קרבא בארבע סטרי עלמא, ולמשלט בקרבייהו על כלא, וינצחון עממין סגיאין וישלטון עלייהו.Their wars will not be in one or two positions like regular wars, rather it will be decisive and rough in all areas of the world. They will succeed in their wars and take control.

ויחשבו לאתגברא במלכותא...The success of their gain thru their war against the nations of the world will cause them and the world to believe that they are controlling the world, but...

"There is interesting evidence about the preservation among the tribes of family trees on their origin, and on their relationship to the fathers of the Israeli people. These family trees are well preserved. Some of them are penned in golden lettering on deerskin. The names of the tribes speak for themselves: the tribe of Harabni (in the Afghan tongue) is the tribe of Reuben, the shinwari is Shimeon, the Levani – Levi, Daftani – Naftali, Jaji – Gad, Ashuri – Asher, Yusuf Su, sons of Josef, Afridi – Ephraim, and so on."

"Even though the Pathans accepted Islam voluntarily and forcibly, they maintain Jewish customs preserved from the recesses of their past. The book contains considerable evidence taken from Jews of Afghanistan who lived in the neighbourhoods of the Pathans and had contact with them. The evidence doesn’t relate to all the Pathans or to all the tribes and places. However, it does prove the existence of Jewish customs among the Pathans. The research on this subject still requires completion, both quantitative and qualitative. Let us note the customs in headline form only: sidelock, circumcision within eight days, a Talith (prayer shawl) and four fringes (Tsitsit), a Jewish wedding (Hupah and ring), women’s customs (immersion in a river or spring), levirate marriage (Yibum), honouring the father, forbidden foods (horse and camel food), refraining from cooking meat and milk, a tradition of clean and unclean poultry, the Shabbat (preparation of 12 Hallah loaves, refraining from work), lighting a candle in honour of the Shabbat, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) prayer (some of them pray turned in the direction of Jerusalem), blood on the threshold and on the two Mezzuzot (in times of plague or trouble), a scapegoat, curing the ill with the help of the Book of Psalms (placing the Book under the patient’s head), a Hebrew amulet (Kamia), Hebrew names (also. for neighbourhoods and villages), Holy Books (they especially honour ‘the Law of Sharif’ which is the Law of Moses), and rising when the name of Moshe is mentioned.

As for the Pathan law, they have laws similar to the Jewish law. The Magen David symbol is found in almost every Pathan house on an island in the Pehshauor district. The rich make it of expensive metals, the poor from simple wood. The Magen David can be seen on the towers of schools and on tools and ornaments."

Just stumbled upon this woman's blog. She is a self-described "Crunchy kosher parent..." from Beverly Hills.

She is also an Obama supporter.

The other day she found the pictured note on her windshield.

Really? Is this what some of us have become? This woman is exercising her first amendment rights by publicly stating her political opinion and someone who disagrees calls her names and leaves her a hate message?

To that coward who left the note: No, sir or madam, shame on YOU! YOU are not a Jew! Jews do not terrorize fellow members of Klal Yisroel when they disagree with them.

I am certainly no Obama(nation) fan. Regardless, this is a free country and this woman has the right to have a bumper sticker on her car without the fear of hate mongers leaving threatening messages.

Wonder how he or she will defend themselves when they stand in front of HaShem.

She writes regarding the note:

"Thank you.

When my children reach the age to ask, "Ima, why do all these bad things happen?" I'll have this great teaching tool. I'll be able to show them this note and tell them that when we say these types of things to other people we are still in need of learning compassion. So Hashem lets horrible things happen to teach us to care for our fellow humans and share in their grief.

I don't mind if you disagree with my political opinions (like my husband does). However, using hate and fear-mongering is not right on any level. And to do so anonymously is just plain childish.

And, I find it slightly ironic that the bumper sticker under the Obama one is "Lo Loshon Hara." (Roughly, "No Evil Speech.")"